Mazda’s oldest small car, the Mazda3, nearly doubled its sales last month, while most of its SUVs tumbled.
The compact car, which first debuted in 2018, saw a surprising surge in demand.
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In July, Mazda sold 3,903 Mazda3s in North America, an 87.5% increase compared to the same month last year.
The sedan led the charge with a 91.8% jump, while the hatchback climbed 77.4%.
Year-to-date, Mazda3 sales are up 28%, with the hatchback surging over 71% and the sedan up 10.3%.
This performance stands out because overall Mazda sales dropped 13% in July to 39,180 vehicles.
Passenger car sales rose more than 50% thanks to the Mazda3, even as SUV sales fell 18%.
The Mazda3’s sudden popularity comes amid rumors of a future electric replacement, possibly based on a Deepal model from Mazda’s Chinese partner Changan.
However, EV demand has cooled in the US, and tariffs on Chinese-built vehicles could complicate plans.
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Mazda may need a different strategy to keep a compact car in America.
Small SUVs Win, Big Ones Lose
While the Mazda3 shone, other models had mixed results.
The CX-30 gained almost 10% in July, and the CX-50 remains Mazda’s biggest year-to-date success, climbing 26% to over 76,500 deliveries.
The MX-5 Miata was broadly steady, with year-to-date sales edging slightly higher, despite a 16.3% drop in July.
The decline was blamed on the RF model, while the soft top held firm.
Not every SUV had reason to celebrate. The CX-5, CX-70, and CX-90 all posted sizeable declines.
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The CX-70 dropped 25.8% to just 1,187 units, making it Mazda’s worst seller, and the CX-90 slumped almost 30% to 4,831 units.
